International media gave conspicuous coverage to the murder of crime writer Georgi Stoev in Sofia. UK newspaper The Guardian reported: “Stoev, an author of several works of fiction and nonfiction on organised crime in Bulgaria, died after brain surgery, doctors said. The attackers escaped in heavy midday traffic. Media reports said Stoev was a former gang member who began writing crime novels and might have been the target of a revenge attack."

The BBC also reports on Stoev's shooting, noting that his death came just hours after Borislav Georgiev, the head of an energy firm that maintains the Kozloduy nuclear plant, was shot dead in Sofia. The BBC also linked the killing to an analysis of Bulgaria's ongoing problems with organised crime.

“The EU has urged Bulgaria's government to do more to tackle organised crime and corruption. The body has already frozen some of its infrastructure subsidies for Bulgaria. The EU imposed a special corruption monitoring scheme on Bulgaria and its neighbour Romania when they  joined in January 2007.”

German press agency DPA describes the days leading up to the killing.

“He was reportedly conducting interviews and gathering material for his next book on organised crime. Stoev was seen talking to a man in a nearby cafe prior to the attack. About 10 days ago he talked about his work in a TV magazine. The murder is believed to be linked to his investigations.”

Associated Press reports that Stoev was a former member of a criminal gang who began writing crime novels and might have been the target of a revenge attack. “The shooting was the second in less than 24 hours in Sofia. Late Sunday, the chief of a major energy company was killed in front of his home,” the AP noted.